Andrew Arnold is the Editorial Director of HarperAlley, the graphic novel imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books. Launching in 2020, HarperAlley is a collaborative, creator-focused publisher of exceptional graphic novels for readers of all ages, everywhere. Its authors and artists define HarperAlley through their unique, visual voices and thought-provoking storytelling. Prior to joining HarperCollins Children’s Books, Arnold was the Art Director at First Second Books, where he worked with many award-winning authors such as Gene Luen Yang, Vera Brosgol, Dan Santat, Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham, and Jen Wang. He is also an author, having collaborated with James Sturm and Alexis Frederick-Frost on the award-winning Adventures in Cartooning series of books from First Second, as well as his upcoming debut picture book, What’s the Matter, Marlo?, due out June 2020 from Roaring Brook Press.

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times-bestselling author known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists, and Chains was also short-listed for the United Kingdom's Carnegie medal. She was selected by the American Library Association for the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her significant contribution to young adult literature. Laurie has also been honored for her battles for intellectual freedom by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English. She is a member of RAINN's National Leadership Council and frequently speaks about sexual violence.

Pénélope Bagieu was born in Paris in 1982, a few months after the original publication of Roald Dahl’s The Witches. She is the bestselling author of several graphic novels, including the Harvey Award-winner California Dreamin’ and Eisner Award-winner Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World, which has been translated into 17 languages and adapted into an animated series. Pénélope Bagieu lives in Paris.

Derrick Barnes wrote the New York Times bestseller The King of Kindergarten, as well as the critically acclaimed picture book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut (illustrated by Gordon James), which received a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the 2018 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award, and the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers. He also wrote the bestselling chapter book series Ruby and the Booker Boys. He owns the copy-writing company Say Word Creative Communications and created the popular blog Raising the Mighty, where he "chronicles the experience of bringing up four beautiful Black boys in America." He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and their four sons.

Simon Boughton joined W.W. Norton & Company in 2018 to develop a new children’s and young adult publishing program, Norton Young Readers. Previously, he held positions at the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Random House Children’s Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, and Kingfisher Books. In 2000 he started Roaring Brook Press, where books he acquired, edited, and published included the Caldecott Medal winners My Friend Rabbit and The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, Caldecott Honor books by Lane Smith, Printz Medal and Honor books by Marcus Sedgwick, Newbery Honor and National Book Award finalists by Steve Sheinkin, and others. He oversaw the launch of the First Second graphic novel imprint and in 2009 was made Publishing Director of the newly created Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, where he continued as Publisher of the Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, First Second, and Roaring Brook Press imprints until leaving in 2017.

Jason Chin is a celebrated children's book creator and is both the author and illustrator of Your Place in the Universe, coming Fall 2020. He is also the illustrator of Nine Months, by Miranda Paul, and wrote and illustrated Grand Canyon, which was awarded a Caldecott Honor, a Sibert Honor, and the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award. His other nonfiction titles, including Redwoods, Island: A story of the Galápagos, Coral Reefs, and Gravity, have received numerous starred reviews and other accolades. Jason lives in Vermont with his wife, Deirdre Gill, and their children.

DJ Corchin is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. He uses his unique humor and wit to focus on socially conscious messages involving kindness, communication, and emotional awareness. He currently lives and works in Chicago, IL.

Matthew Cordell is the author and illustrator of Hello, Neighbor!: The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers, the only authorized picture book biography of Fred Rogers. He is also the Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator of Wolf in the Snow, and the illustrator of numerous highly acclaimed children's books, including The Only Fish in the Sea and Special Delivery, which was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. He wrote and illustrated Another Brother, Wish, and Hello! Hello!, a New York Times Notable Children's Book. Matthew lives near Chicago with his wife, author Julie Halpern, and their two children.

Dylan Farrow is a writer, mother, and activist for survivors of sexual assault. Growing up in both New York City and rural Connecticut, she spent countless hours drawing and writing for pleasure. After graduating from Bard College she found a position at CNN as a production assistant and later moved into graphic design. Soon, however, she felt that neither were her calling. After getting married, Dylan returned to writing full time, exploring her love of YA fantasy. Hush is her debut novel.

Gina Gagliano is the Publishing Director of Random House Graphic, Random House’s dedicated publisher of kids and YA graphic novels. She sits on Random House Children’s Books Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee and Outreach Committees. Prior to working at Random House Children’s Books, she was most recently Associate Director, Marketing & Publicity at First Second Books. She’s the comics co-chair for the Brooklyn Book Festival; and in the past she’s coordinated programming and events for the Splat! Graphic Novel Symposium, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, and the Toronto Comics Art Festival. She co-runs the informal Women in Comics Publishing NYC events series (with Abby Denson), and co-hosts the informational graphic novel publishing podcast Graphic Novel TK (with Alison Wilgus). You can find her online at @_GinaGagliano.

Halli Gomez was an intelligence analyst for police departments and federal agencies, and now works as a writer and a martial arts teacher (she is a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo). She and her family live in Charlotte, NC.

Shannon Hale is the New York Times–bestselling author of over thirty books, including fantasy novels The Goose Girl and Book of a Thousand Days, science fiction novel Dangerous, Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy, graphic novel memoirs Real Friends and Best Friends (with LeUyen Pham), and romantic comedy Austenland (now a major motion picture starring Keri Russell). She lives in Utah with her husband and frequent collaborator Dean Hale, their four remarkable children, and two ridiculous cats named Misty Knight and Mike Hat.

Jeff Hobbs graduated with a BA in English language and literature from Yale in 2002, where he was awarded the Willets and Meeker prizes for his writing. He is the author of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace and The Tourists. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

Kiku Hughes is a cartoonist and illustrator based in the Seattle area. Her work has been featured in Beyond Anthology volumes 1 and 2, Short Box #6 and the Alloy Anthology. She creates stories about identity, queer romance and compassionate sci-fi. Displacement is her first graphic novel, and it is a story she's wanted to share for as long as she can remember.

Tiffany D. Jackson is the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly, Monday’s Not Coming, and Let Me Hear a Rhyme. A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book and Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, she received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University, her master of arts in media studies from the New School, and has over a decade in TV/Film experience. The Brooklyn native still resides in the borough she loves. You can visit her at writeinbk.com.

Gordon C. James illustrated the critically acclaimed picture book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut (by Derrick Barnes), which received a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, an Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor, the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers, and a Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. He also illustrated Let 'Er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People's Champion (by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson). He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and two children.

Erin Entrada Kelly, a New York Times–bestselling author,  was awarded the Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe. She grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and now lives in Delaware. She is a professor of children’s literature in the graduate fiction and publishing programs at Rosemont College, where she earned her MFA. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Philippines Free Press Literary Award for Short Fiction and the Pushcart Prize. Erin Entrada Kelly’s debut novel, Blackbird Fly, was a Kirkus Best Book, a School Library Journal Best Book, an ALSC Notable Book, and an Asian/Pacific American Literature Honor Book. She is also the author of The Land of Forgotten Girls, winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature; You Go First, a Spring 2018 Indie Next Pick; the acclaimed fantasy novel Lalani of the Distant Sea, which received six starred reviews; and We Dream of Space. The author’s mother was the first in her family to immigrate to the United States from the Philippines, and she now lives in Cebu.

Lucy Knisley is the critically acclaimed, award-winning, New York Times bestselling comics creator of Relish and Kid Gloves. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son. She specializes in personal, confessional graphic novels and travelogues. Stepping Stones is Lucy's first graphic novel for kids. Find her online at @lucyknisley.

Ibram X. Kendi is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You, as well as Stamped from the Beginning, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, The Black Campus Movement, which won the W.E.B. Du Bois Book Prize, and How to be an Antiracist. He is a professor of history and international relations and the founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. One of America's leading antiracist voices and a frequent public speaker, Dr. Kendi is also a columnist at The Atlantic. He lives with his family in Washington, D.C. He invites you to visit him online at IbramXKendi.com.

Nina LaCour is the author of the widely acclaimed Hold Still, The Disenchantments, and Everything Leads to You, and the Michael L. Printz Award-winner We Are Okay. She is also the coauthor, with David Levithan, of You Know Me Well. Formerly a bookseller and high school English teacher, she now writes and parents full time. A San Francisco Bay Area native, Nina lives with her family in San Francisco, California.

Arthur A. Levine founded Levine Querido in April 2019, after a 23-year tenure as the President and Publisher of Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic. He founded Arthur A. Levine Books in 1996, coming over from Knopf Books for Young Readers where he had been Editor in Chief. His determination to bring a diverse selection of "The Best of the World's Literature for Young People" to American readers was the guiding principal in all of AALB’s publishing since its beginnings, and continues to be the guiding light at Levine Querido. This mission resulted in the introduction to North American audiences of the work of great writers such as J. K. Rowling, Markus Zusak, Nahoko Uehashi, Daniella Carmi, Luis Sepúlveda, and Jaclyn Moriarty. Arthur sees this search for great writers from around the world as a continuum with Levine Querido’s search for diverse, powerful, unique voices and visions from the multitude of cultures closer to home. In addition to overseeing the company, Arthur edits between eight and ten books annually.

Grace Lin, a New York Times best-selling author/illustrator, won a Caldecott Honor for A Big Mooncake for Little Star, a Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, and a Theodor Geisel Honor for Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same. Her most recent novel, When the Sea Turned to Silver, was a National Book Award finalist. Grace is a commentator for New England Public Radio, a reviewer for the New York Times, and a video essayist for PBS NewsHour. You can hear her speak about diversity and children's literature in her popular TEDx talk "The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf."

Sara Lundberg studied at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. She was a painter before she began to focus on picture books. She won the August Prize, Sweden’s highest literary honor, for the original edition of this book, among other awards. In addition to authoring several titles, she has illustrated more than thirty children’s books, including Skriv om och om igen, another August Prize winner. Sara lives in Stockholm, Sweden.

Kelly Starling Lyons is the author of multiple award-winning picture books and chapter books, most recently Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon, illustrated by Laura Freeman, Sing a Song: How "Lift Every Voice and Sing" Inspired Generations, illustrated by Keith Mallett and the Jada Jones series, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton. Like Philip Freelon, Kelly grew up in Pennsylvania in a family that prized creativity, and now lives in North Carolina with a family of her own. Please visit her website at kellystarlinglyons.com and follow her on Twitter at @kelstarly.

Samantha Mabry credits her tendency toward magical thinking to her Grandmother Garcia, who would wash money in the kitchen sink to rinse off any bad spirits. She teaches writing and Latino literature at a community college in Dallas, where she lives with her husband, a historian, and a cat named Mouse. She is the author of A Fierce and Subtle Poison and All the Wind in the World. Visit her online at samanthamabry.com or on Twitter: @samanthamabry.

Meg Medina is the author of the Newbery Medal–winning book Merci Suárez Changes Gears, which was a 2018 Kirkus Prize finalist. She is also the author of award-winning YA novels and the picture books Mango, Abuela, and Me, illustrated by Angela Dominguez, which was a Pura Belpré Author and Illustrator Award Honor Book, and Tía Isa Wants a Car, illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, which won the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, she grew up in Queens, New York, and now lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Kayla Miller is a New York Times bestselling author-illustrator living and working in New York. They have a BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Kayla enjoys watching bad movies, trying to cook new recipes, playing board and video games, and reading other people's graphic novels.

Daniel Nayeri was born in Iran and spent a couple of years as a refugee before immigrating to Oklahoma at age eight with his family. He is the publisher of Odd Dot, an imprint of Macmillan, making him one of the youngest publishers in the industry. He has served on the CBC diversity committee and the CBC panel committee.

Trung Le Nguyen, also known as Trungles, is a comic book artist and illustrator working out of Minnesota. He received his BA from Hamline University in 2012, majoring in Studio Art with a concentration in oil painting and minoring in Art History. He has contributed work for Oni Press, BOOM! Studios, Limerence Press, and Image Comics. He is particularly fond of fairy tales, kids' cartoons, and rom-coms of all stripes. The Magic Fish is his debut graphic novel.

Emily X.R. Pan is the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After, which won the APALA Honor Award and the Walter Honor Award, received six starred reviews, was an LA Times Book Prize finalist, and was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit Emily online at exrpan.com, and find her on Twitter and Instagram: @exrpan.

Danny Ramadan is a Syrian-Canadian author, award-winning activist, and public speaker. His debut novel, The Clothesline Swing, won multiple awards. His work in activism provided a safe passage to dozens of Syrian LGBTQ-refugees to Canada. Salma the Syrian Chef is his first book for children. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, a two-time National Book Award finalist, a Kirkus Award winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. Reynolds is also the 2020–2021 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. His many books include Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You and many other books, including When I Was the Greatest, Boy in the Black Suit, All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely), As Brave as You, For Every One, the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), Look Both Ways, and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.

Eileen Robinson has worked with children’s writers all over the world for over twenty years. Former Executive Editor at Scholastic and Editorial Director at Harcourt, she has acquired published works from the U.K. and Italy, and created original works for U.S. markets. Eileen teaches revision with Harold Underdown at The Highlights Foundation, is publisher for Move Books—getting middle-grade boys to read—and is building a new diverse imprint with Reycraft Books' editorial director Wiley Blevins, Sunita Apte and a team who has a special focus on underrepresented authors and illustrators, acquiring original and licensed works from around the world.

John Rocco is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including Blackout, recipient of the Caldecott Honor. Rocco has illustrated the covers for Rick Riordan's internationally bestselling series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, and The Trials of Apollo. He also created the illustrations for the #1 New York Times bestsellers Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes. Before making children's books, Rocco spent many years as creative director for Walt Disney Imagineering. If he couldn't make books, he would like to work as an engineer for NASA. He hopes this book will serve as his application. Rocco lives in Rhode Island with his wife, daughter, and several demanding animals. To find out more, visit roccoart.com, or follow him on Twitter at @johnroccoart and on Instagram at @johnrocco.

Lauren Shippen, author of The Infinite Noise, is a writer best known for her work in fiction podcasts. She is the creator and sole writer of the popular audio drama, The Bright Sessions. She went on to executive produce The AM Archives and co-produce Passenger List before founding Atypical Artists, a company dedicated to audio storytelling. She wrote MARVELS, an audio adaptation of the popular comic, released in 2019 by Marvel and Stitcher. Lauren was named one of Forbes's 2018 30 Under 30 in Media and one of MovieMaker Magazine's and Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters to Watch. She was born in New York City and grew up in Bronxville, New York. She currently lives in Los Angeles but travels frequently to New York.

Jessie Sima is an author/illustrator living and working in New York City. She grew up in a small town in southern New Jersey, unaware that she was a storyteller. Once she figured it out, she told her family and friends. They took it quite well. She is the author of Not Quite Narwhal; Harriet Gets Carried Away; Love, Z; Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies; Spencer’s New Pet; and Jules vs. the Ocean. You can visit her at JessieSima.com

Dr. Tanu Shree Singh is an assistant professor of psychology in the Department of Higher Education, Haryana, India. She completed her studies in positive psychology at Maharshi Dayanand University and writes extensively on issues related to parenting. Her approach to parenting, rooted in her academic background, draws heavily from her experiences as a parent and a mentor. Her passion for reading and getting more children to read led her to set up two libraries in Faridabad and Tirthan Valley. She lives in Faridabad, India.

Brian “Smitty” Smith is a former Marvel Comics and DC Comics Editor. He is the co-creator and writer behind the New York Times bestselling graphic novel The Stuff of Legend, the cartoonist of Tree Mail, and the winner of the Kids Read Comics “Most Epic Adventure” award. Smitty lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Christina Soontornvat grew up in a small Texas town where she spent many childhood days behind the counter of her parents' Thai restaurant with her nose in a book. She is the author of many books for young readers, including The Blunders, illustrated by Colin Jack. She now lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two children.

Nova Ren Suma is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling The Walls Around Us, which was an Edgar Award finalist. She also wrote Imaginary Girls and 17 & Gone and is co-creator of FORESHADOW: A Serial YA Anthology. She has an MFA in fiction from Columbia University and teaches writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts and the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from the Hudson Valley, she spent most of her adult life in New York City and now lives in Philadelphia. Visit Nova online at novaren.com, and find her on Twitter and Instagram: @novaren.

Katie Yamasaki is a Brooklyn-based muralist and picture book creator who has worked on more than eighty murals around the world.

Gene Luen Yang writes, and sometimes draws, comic books and graphic novels. American Born Chinese, his first graphic novel from First Second Books, was a National Book Award finalist, as well as the winner of the Printz Award and an Eisner Award. His two-volume graphic novel Boxers & Saints won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award finalist. His other works include the Secret Coders series (with Mike Holmes), The Shadow Hero (with Sonny Liew), New Super-Man from DC Comics (with various artists), and the Avatar: The Last Airbender series from Dark Horse Comics (with Gurihiru). He was the fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and in 2016 he was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow